Fully compatible with all EF and EF-S Lenses and a wide range of EOS System accessories

The Canon EOS-30D is the latest in Canon's broad line of digital SLR models, but it is more evolutionary than revolutionary, keeping most of what was excellent about its predecessor, the EOS 20D. Canon says they listened to feedback from 20D customers and made modifications to make an even better 20D. The resulting Canon 30D still has the same 8 megapixel sensor, main processor, and basic body design of the 20D, but it's been augmented with a larger screen, a more durable shutter, and a 3.5% spot metering mode, among other improvements.

As did the 20D, the new Canon 30D offers impressive noise performance at high ISOs, with the result that its images at ISO 1600 are remarkably clean-looking, and its shots at ISO 3200 are very usable. Simultaneous with the increase in resolution, the Canon EOS 30D also brings improved shooting speed, with a 5 frame/second continuous mode and unusually deep buffer memory. For all its technical sophistication though, the camera avoids any sense of needless technology for technology's sake: The Canon EOS 30D is clearly focused on a single purpose: Helping photographers capture excellent images.

The exceptional nature of the Canon 30D should come as no surprise, given that it's a refinement of an already superb digital SLR, brought up to date with a few features the market's been wanting. The camera performs well in every respect. Color is accurate, image noise very low, resolution excellent, and the camera is very responsive, both to the shutter button, and from shot to shot. The interface is well designed and straightforward; and for current EOS owners it couldn't be more familiar. Because the 30D uses the same sensor as the 20D, it manages to maintain low image noise at high-ISO, on par with its predecessor. Digital Rebel and Rebel XT owners wanting a little more control will also want to give the 30D a look. Anyone looking for the benchmark of quality in a relatively affordable D-SLR with a lens should consider the bundle, which for only $100 more than the body alone includes a versatile and decent quality 18-55mm EF-S lens. Those wanting a little more might want to look at buying the body by itself and purchasing the EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, an image-stabilized lens that is versatile enough that most users will never need to change it. Just in case you didn't already guess, the Canon EOS 30D is *highly* recommended!

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 7

Pros:

good resolution for those times/rather cheap

Cons:

average high-iso performance (but it was quite good at the time)/moderate ergonomics (if we compare it with Nikon D-SLR`s)

Good camera for those times. My first D-SLR. Now-days is very popular at secondhand market especially in Russia.

f43tgv

Registered: September 2007Posts: 16

Canon EOS 30D review by f43tgv

Review Date: 5/19/2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $400.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

A great camera

Cons:

Not modern enough for some

This is now in Digital parlance an old camera
However if you are the sort of photographer who just wants great pictures dont overlook it

I am not interested in movie modes,face recognition ,sensor cleaning (how hard is that?) and all the gizmos that appear in ever increasing quantities on newer models.

I just want a camera that will get out of the way and let me get on with taking pictures.

This one does.

It is very well built, cheap now secondhand, the battery lasts forever, not too heavy so can go anywhere, and apart from a dingy screen is up there with the best.

Only 8 million pixels? Forget it you wont even notice. I used an EOS 450D for a few days. Using the same lens on both cameras, the same comparison shots were indistinguishable as regards recorded detail, no-one I showed the shots to could identify any difference either

The 450D did have nasty noise in the shadow areas at low iso"s which the 30D doesnt.

I wont replace it in the foreseeable future, as I dont see any sense in paying up for the lastest gear only to find it is worth half what I paid for it 6 months down the line. Thats silly.

Get one , you wont regret it!

Rover

Registered: July 2008Posts: 13

Canon EOS 30D review by Rover

Review Date: 10/24/2008

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,400.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

a well balanced camera overall

Cons:

not entirely reliable

It was my second DSLR and my first (and so far, the current) Canon.
30D is a well balanced camera for both serious amateurs and low to middle range pros, if you pardon the definition.
I liked the big screen (over the 20D's almost useless one), the responsiveness, the images are great.
The menu/control system could have been more logical, but I can live with it. The way to choose AF points is awkward; you either have to struggle with the (horrible) multi-controller or lose the AE compensation altogether.
The biggest gripe is reliability; in the 1 1/2 years I have this camera, the shutter gave up on me twice... and I don't rape the camera with overuse! Now I'm facing the trouble with the shutter button... it doesn't work very often and I have to resort to the one on BG-E2 battery grip. That's the main reason I'm thinking of upgrading to an 1D... I just can't rely on my 30D completely, at least until the shutter button is fixed. However, if I send it to the repair shop I'll have no camera to shoot... therefore greatly reduced income. Quite a dilemma.

touristguy87

Registered: July 2007Posts: 36

Canon EOS 30D review by touristguy87

Review Date: 8/5/2008

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $800.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

good solid Camera pro camera

Cons:

streak-noise at high ISO in continuous drive, like most cmos Canons

this is a solid camera...I like this design, good solid frame, no "anti-dust mechanism" to worry about, good viewfinder, good basic control layout, configuration and operation.

It's basically a 5D with a subframe sensor, and 2/3rds the MP. Same pros and cons.

Canon should have just taken this camera and put the 400d sensor in it instead of going through all the motions with the 40D, they would have had a much-better camera.

The one thing that I do not like about the cmos Canons is that they generate a lot of streak-noise at the higher ISOs in continuous drive. This is not a problem at decent eVs but at -3eV or so in continuous drive it really is an issue. Otherwise this would be about perfect, with that, auto-ISO and a status-LCD lamp that stayed on when I turned it on instead of turning itself off after 5 seconds. Still for your basic DSLR this is just about perfect.

But the shadow noise in all of the cmos Canons is just not right, not nice and "random" like a good CCD sensor.

tdotduffman

Registered: November 2006Posts: 10

Canon EOS 30D review by tdotduffman

Review Date: 1/15/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 10

Pros:

2.5" LCD, snappy performance

Cons:

Not quite as portable as an XT or XTi (but what do you expect?)

I can't say I'm an expert in using the Picture Styles, but I don't see this as a significant benefit from the parameters in the 20D. They're easier to set up and use, mostly due to the more familiar terms and larger number of options (without being cluttered), but I like to perform my edits in post-production. Perhaps with much experimentation one can find a set of Pictures Styles that are appropriate for favorite venues.

Other than that, it's a remarkable camera for its size and price (though the competition has, for the most part, caught up). Over the 20D I like the larger LCD and option for reducing the burst rate to 3 fps from 5 fps for those occasions when the latter would fill the buffer too quickly. Over the XT the AF system is superior, though it bears no advantage over the XTi's. Greatest benefit of the 30D over the XTi, I would say, is the slightly superior response time in shutter lag for sports applications; as well as the more rapid adjustability of settings e.g. ISO or WB.

fergusonjr

Registered: January 2007Posts: 15

Canon EOS 30D review by fergusonjr

Review Date: 1/15/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,100.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Sturdy body, substantial grip, fast shooting

Cons:

Screen-color off, ummmmm?

Compared to the Rebel XTi/400D, the 30D feels much more substantial . . . more like a real camera. The larger, more solid magnesium body offers a much more reassuring and easy-to-hold grip. The image quality on the 30D is outstanding. Its slight megapixel deficit compared to the XTi/400D is almost impossible to notice, as you need an awfully sharp lens to even resolve at this kind of level.

I do prefer the quick dial on the back of the 30D to the array of buttons on the XTi/400D, but I prefer the tabbed layout of the menu on the XTi/400D to the long-list format on the 30D. All of the buttons and dials on the 30D feel solid and well-assembled -- you feel like you're buying something that will last you quite a while.

Some of the advantages of the 30D over the XTi that I have already enjoyed include a faster peak shooting speed of 5 fps -- something that you don't quite appreciate the value of until you've really used it -- a faster top shutter speed of 1/8000sec which I have used to capture some high-speed photo moments, lower noise at higher ISOs and the abiity to shoot at ISO 3200.

It's hard to find any serious negatives with this camera, but one major thing that bugs me is the greenish-hue of the LCD screen. When I take a photo, I'd like the true colors to display properly on the screen, but they don't. There's always a greenish hue to the images. The images look fine when downloaded and viewed on the computer, but the camera's LCD just doesn't display them at all correctly. I would also like to see the LCD have the same auto-turn-off feature like the XTi/400D has. When I bring my eye up to the viewfinder, the screen stays on until I half-press the shutter. So, there's a moment where my eye is being influenced by the glare of the screen, and in low-light conditions this can result in not being able to see the subject clearly until the screen turns off.

Is this camera worth a few hundred dollars more than the XTi/400D? Well, if you really need the faster shooting-speed or you must have the larger, sturdier, grippier body, than the 30D is for you. However, in my view, the nicer LCD, the self-cleaning sensor, more attractive settings-display, and portablity of the XTi/400D more than make up for some the performance advantages of the 30D. The 30D is a great camera, but I'd be inclined to wait for the 40D, which should combine the best of the 30D and XTi/400D.

six100

Registered: January 2007Posts: 10

Canon EOS 30D review by six100

Review Date: 1/8/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,400.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Built like a tank, size (feels "right"), improved shutter life, 2.5" LCD panel, wheel & hat instead of buttons (compared to a 350D), better "menu" layout (once more compared to a 350D), spot metering truly works (though is not

Cons:

Mine had dust on the sensor right out of the box too, but I have to admit that I didn't check on my 350D when it was new if it had it too. Wish it was 12MP intead of 8MP.

I was a happy 350D owner when the opportunity to switch to a 30D came...and since I knew that opportunity may not knock twice my door I decided to inmediatelly sold my (loved) Rebel XT body and got myself the newer 30D.

NOTE: all the comparisons mentioned here are between the 350D and the 30D.

The good:

It's built to last longer: You can feel it as soon as you see the 30D. Anyway I have no complaints about the build quality of the 350D.

Size/Weight: Besides this camera weights a bit more than the 350D, it size makes it more "enjoyable" when you hold it in your hands. It seems like the bigger grip makes it easier to your hands to hold that extra weight. This is definitelly a plus.

Shutter-life: According to the documentation the shutter is rated to last some 100.000 cycles...and, to be honest I expected that to be true on the 350D as well but...anyway that is a plus too.

2.5" LCD: This is really usefull for reviewing....the 350D was a bit too small. And I have the feeling this one is more bright too. Anyway it still gets difficult to see anything outdoors when the sun shines hard.

Wheel & Hat controls: This is an awesome feature...you become addicted to it. Once you try this you don't want to go back to the "control by buttons".

The new menu is "faster" than the 350D's and that is something I wasn't expecting. Interface and controls are so much better and easier to use...

Other +: PC-synchro is a must if you work in a studio or with strobes. The built in flash and the capability of ISO 3200 are very interesting-very welcome additions to the features also.

Finally "true spot-metering": All I have to say about this feature is that it works. Though I still haven't taken advantage of this and to be honest it's not the more exiting feature about the 30D...at least to me. But it works very well.

The bad:

Dust in the sensor right out of the box. This is kind of bizzare...how can that be possible?

I would have traded any of the good things above for some more megapixels....but of course, that could probably kill the 5D.

Instead of writing a full review (you can find lots of them online), I'd rather share my personal experience with this camera

This is my first dSLR, I chose this primarily because of its stronger body and the extra dial control.. And believe me, it's worth it.. those two points are reasons enough..

When the 400D was released, at first I was surprised that they offered the same number of AF (i've seen reports that the rebel is even faster). But I still like this body better because of the reasons given above (esp. the dial control -- similar to 5D).

IQ, of course is top-notch, although I believer that you need to learn how to use your baby first before you can maximize its potential. (hardware and DPP wise)

Would I recommend this camera for those who want to upgrade? Well the release cycle for Canon bodies is 18 months, that would be in 7 months, if you can wait that long then you might hold on to your current body first.. Remember this is a simple upgrade over 20D, no dramatic revolution.. I'm sure they would include more AF points, self-cleaning, 12MP.. so there..

But for new buyers, yeah sure, i'm this would last you for a long time..

trentdp

Registered: September 2006Posts: 26

Canon EOS 30D review by trentdp

Review Date: 1/6/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,100.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Good size and decent build quality

Cons:

None I can personally attest to

I don't personally own this camera but my son does having recently purchased it for about $1,100 in place of the original Rebel. He uses it to shoot family pictures just starting up a home business to enhance income. He has two professional grade Canon lenses (24-105 IS, 70-200 IS). These lenses are about as good as it gets for the professional/semi-professional user. The picture quality from these lenses is truely superb!
If I didn't already have a sizeable investment in Nikon lenses I would be tempted to buy this camera for it's many virtues and use of CF storage media. I have large hands and find the 30D fits me very well and the build quality is great.
I like the general size and features of this camera and find that it would be a reasonable substitute for the Nikon D200, at a lower price, for the move up DSLR buyer if they don't have a committment to a large supply of lenses. Although argueably this is not quite the level of camera that the Nikon D200 is in regard to environmental seals etc. it still has some very compelling features including excellent out of camera photos.
One of the big drawbacks to Canon DSLR cameras is the high cost of "good" lenses compared to comparable Nikon lenses. I use the term "Good" to mean sub-professional grade lenses suited to advanced amature consumer users. I believe Nikon has a significant edge in this area given the Nikon 18-200 VR which sells for about $750 and is about the top of the range for average consumers in this market. Even 3rd Party lenses don't provide acceptable alternatives at reasonable prices for Canon users. Canon has recently released some better grade consumer quality lenses but has a long way to go in this respect.
If you are looking to upgrade from the original Rebel or Rebel XT, I highly recommend that you skip the XTI and buy the 30D instead as it is light years ahead of that camera in build quality and ergonometry.

gadgetguy

Registered: May 2006Posts: 62

Canon EOS 30D review by gadgetguy

Review Date: 1/5/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 9

Pros:

great build, fast response

Cons:

not muich of an upgrade from the 20D

Canon's midrange line (xxD cameras) are all superb. I've had all of them - D30, D60, 10D, 20D. Call me an addict - I admit it. =)

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this as an upgrade to the 10D or any camera before it (and also the Rebel line), but as an upgrade to the 20D, bottom line is that you get a bigger screen.

Still, it's a great camera in its own right.

logogogue

Registered: December 2006Posts: 10

Canon EOS 30D review by logogogue

Review Date: 12/28/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,100.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

solid construction, 9 point AF, 2.5" LCD, fast 5/second, 1/3 step ISO

Cons:

Nothing really.

I recently moved up from the Rebel XT and am loving the more advanced features of the 30d. Also I find that the picture quality has been slightly better. Of course this is a bit subjective but somehow the quality is more pleasing using Neutral out of the camera than the XT. (Use Raw and PS CS2 and this is a non-issue of course.) However I admit that I was in a bit of a quandry when I was about to press the "buy now" button. It is a bit of a bummer to know that the 40d will probably come out in the next 6 months or so sporting over 10 megapixels with the lastest DiGiCIII chip as well as other improvements. (e.g., Sensor cleaning?) My guess is that it will be a proper revolutionary change rather than an evolutionary one over the 20d so would make a very compelling buy. I have also been reading that the new XTi is faster in the autofocus department over the 30d and sports the 9 point focus points so the XTi is quite compelling as well.

So why did I opt out of the XTi or waiting for the 40d? First, the size of the XT was a pain for me. It's too small to hold comfortably so i had been resorting to using the bg-e3, which adds quite a lot of bulk to an otherwise svelte camera. Secondly, I like the 5 shots per second speed. Finally, thanks to the Canon rebates going on right now coupled with some great internet pricing, the cost wasn't so bad considering the added benefits and features of the 30d over the XT. So far the quality of the camera has been shining through and am looking forward to spending a long time with it.

Will I be struck by upgrade-itis when the 40d does finally arrive? Dang right! But unless I have some incredibly compelling reason to do so, like get a career in photography, I think the 30d will do just fine for what I need it to do.

SamuelMV

Registered: December 2006Posts: 6

Canon EOS 30D review by SamuelMV

Review Date: 12/14/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,600.00| Rating: 9

After a lot of time searching in the internet and reading reviews I decided for the Canon 30D, although it was quite expensive in Spain:

The 350D is too small for my hands, not very solid and has a tiny viewfinder.

Nikon has an horrible customer service in my country, and the lenses are much more expensive.

The camera IQ is wonderful, it clearly surpases my skills as photographer and the limits of my lenses.

It works very fast, although I would like to have the on/off button better positionated (as Nikon or Pentax)

The construction quality is very good and the viewfinder is quite big and clear for an APS-C camera. It shows the ISO while you are changing it.

My main complains are the LCD screen and the lack of configuration options in the camera.

The LCD is bad, very bad, it's a shame that Canon put that on a camera and try to sell it: no anti-reflective coating, it washed out very easily, color not very good. Now I only use the screen to check the histogram ...

The other 'problem' is the lack of configuration options, you can set the Fn options and little more: No auto-ISO configuration, no custom curves (as Nikon) nor profiles (as 5D, 1D), etc. And we get an useless DPOF button instead of a MRLU button, or a set exposure button for M mode.

Another thing that annoys me it's that I can't use my RC-1 IR remote (from my old Elan-7), as in a 350D or 400D. It's cheap, it's very useful for long expositions, and only need a little IR receiver ...

viatorum777

Registered: December 2006Posts: 3

Canon EOS 30D review by viatorum777

Review Date: 12/12/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,150.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Great Build Quality

Cons:

No ISO in Viewfinder

This is my first DSLR. I must confess that I almost went for the new 400D, but having held its predecessor I decided to go for the fuller camera. I am glad I did. I am loving this camera.

Having come from a point & shoot I am absolutely thrilled with the possibilities. I am especially happy about being able to shoot in RAW and then having extra flexibility while in post-processing. This is an incredible feature for those shots I just don't quite get right in camera (although I am striving to get it right the first time!). I am very happy with the image quality even at higher ISO - there is very little grain.

The feel in my hand is just perfect. I thought I would need the battery grip, but I am going to hold off on it for now.

The 2.5" LCD is just beautiful. Again compared to my Canon S2 IS this is a huge leap forward. I also love being able to view the histogram either in color or RGB settings. The histogram is such an incredible tool for the amateur like myself.

I still have much to learn, but I honestly thought it would be harder to learn how to use this camera, but since receiving it I have only shot in manual or TV / AV and have produced some pretty good pictures.

Through reading Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure I am learning how important my light meter is and I am thoroughly enjoying taking more thoughtful pictures with my light meter readings and exposures. I am no longer left guessing.

To end this post - I am having lots of fun and believe I will continue to do so for a while now. I just need to get some more glass!

And by the way - with the current rebates subtract up to $ 200 off if you buy an additional lens or accessory!

kwk36

Registered: December 2006Posts: 5

Canon EOS 30D review by kwk36

Review Date: 12/10/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,280.00| Rating: 10

Pros:

Lots of useful features for the price, good build

Cons:

no constant iso display in viewfinder

Coming from Nikon film cameras, this purchase was an agonising one. Nikon has served me well but when it came time to go digital the choice wasn't so clear. Both brands make great cameras but all of my old Nikon glass was manual focus and wouldn't work (meter) on any Nikon digital less than the D200. I couldn't see $400 dollars difference (at the time I purchased) in features. Besides, my aging eyes were pushing me away from manual focus so I would have had to buy new lenses anyway. Since I have started using the 30D I have been blown away by it. This is a great camera and a great value (especially now). It has worked flawlessly for thousands of images. The batteries seem to last forever and the camera handles great. My only complaint is that the iso setting isn't shown continuiously in the viewfinder. It's funny how I noticed this coming from an Nikon F3 but it would be a handy feature. I know some people were disappointed that the 30D wasn't a big step up from the 20D but I've been extemely happy with mine. My Nikons are collecting dust because of it. I never thought that would happen but this is a great little camera.

Muiderburght

Registered: December 2006Posts: 13

Canon EOS 30D review by Muiderburght

Review Date: 12/1/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 9

Pros:

Professional camera for prosumer price; high iso performance; fast; good controls.

Cons:

no built-in anti shake makes need for expensive IS lenses; no anti-dust

I started considering SLR when those pictures of my kids kept being out of focus, moved, or failed in any other way.
I originally bought a 350D. Quite happy with the results but I didnt like the small grip and I realized I was being cheap on the camera while buying expensive lenses (17-55 IS EF-S) that are quite heavy. So I sold it and bought the 30D. Never regretted it. It's just a fantastic camera that never disappoints. Anti-dust is an important new feature for digital cameras though and although I wouldnt go with the again much smaller 400D, I will likely repeat the earlier trick (sell-buy) for a "40D" if that would include that technology. However, if you want to buy now, you wont regret the 30D.

bbrat

Registered: November 2006Posts: 3

Canon EOS 30D review by bbrat

Review Date: 11/29/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,000.00| Rating: 10

Pros:

picture quality, ease of use, low iso noise from 100-1600

Cons:

maybe weather sealing?

great camera. easy to use, picture quality is excellent, low iso noise! fast and build is excellent. battery life is great. no complaints from me!

ddesimoni

Registered: November 2006Posts: 12

Canon EOS 30D review by ddesimoni

Review Date: 11/18/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 10

Pros:

great image quality, ISO noise

Cons:

none

upgraded from a 350D to a 30D.

Canon body produces some great image quality and the 30D is right there in comparison to the Mark II bodies. Noise at various ISO is excellent

PsiBurn

Registered: November 2006Posts: 8

Canon EOS 30D review by PsiBurn

Review Date: 11/14/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 10

My first dSLR and I love every minute of it, despite the shortcomings.

I do wish however the viewfinder had a larger magnification, grid line options and other 1-series options that I can only dream of, and that the buttons were bigger for easier handling of the camera. Speaking of which, another 1-series thing I can only dream of is more customizable features and more menu options, but then imagine the price...

Also, the weather-sealing issue is sorta getting to me; there were some instances when the camera starting acting up when the humidity that day was high, and I got very worried... Are you listening Canon?

But listen to this Canon: I still like what you are doing with the 30D.
The control layout makes a lot of sense with the command wheel and the joystick
the CMOS sensor continues to amaze me with its low-light capabilities
I like how the grip got changed from the 20D and how there is more of an indent befor e the shutter release button (it made a huge difference!)
keep up bundling excellent software with your products
5 fps is great for fast action (though the buffer needs to catch up to such performance)